Forces and Newton’s laws: Edexcel International A Level Physics questions

Every Edexcel International A Level Physics exam question on Forces and Newton’s laws (specification points 8–12), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

All 103 questions on Forces and Newton’s laws, as a list

June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q4 (1 mark): The forces acting on a person sitting on a chair are weight and normal contact force. Which of the following gives a reason why these forces do not form a Newto
June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q5 (1 mark): A wire is used to hang a picture from a hook on a wall. The wire exerts forces T1 and T2 on the picture. The picture has weight W, as shown. hook wire T1 T2 Not
June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q7 (1 mark): The forces acting on a helicopter are shown. The helicopter is represented by the dot. 14 500 N 200 N Not to scale 15 000 N Which of the following expressions g
June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q8 (1 mark): A box of weight W slides down a ramp. The ramp is at an angle θ to the horizontal. A frictional force F acts on the box, as shown. F W θ Which of the following
June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q11 (3 marks): A resultant force of 4800 N acts on a boat. The acceleration of the boat is 0.31 m s –2. Calculate the weight of the boat. Weight of boat =
June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q18(b) (2 marks): A student pulls sphere A, so the string is at an angle of 38° to the vertical, as shown. The student then releases sphere A. 38 direction of acceleration Determ
June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q20(d) (5 marks): The skydiver opened his parachute and his speed changed. After a time, he reached a terminal velocity. Explain how the forces on the skydiver caused his acceler
January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): Traffic lights of weight W are suspended from a wire. The wire is held at an angle θ to the horizontal by two supports, as shown. support support θ θ traffic li
January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q11 (3 marks): The mass of a car is 1850 kg. Some people sit in the car. The car then accelerates at 0.230 m s −2 when the resultant force on the car is 460 N. Calculate the t
January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q13(b) (2 marks): The resistive force exerted by the sand on a vehicle is proportional to the weight of the vehicle. The weight of a car is less than the weight of a truck. Expla
January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q14(a) (1 mark): State how Newton’s third law applies to the gliders during the collision. (1)
January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q18(b) (6 marks): A crane on a ship can lift the submarine out of the sea, as shown. cable crane submarine (Source: adapted from © PJF Military Collection/Alamy Stock Photo) The
October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q4 (1 mark): The photograph shows a cable car hanging from a cable. The cable car is in equilibrium. cable cable car (Source: © zefart/Getty Images) Which of the following f
October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q5 (1 mark): A box slides down a slope at a constant speed. Weight and resistive forces both act on the box. Which of the following is a reason why the speed of the box is c
October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q15(a) (3 marks): The athlete exerts a force of 890 N on the ground as he jumps into the air. Explain why the athlete accelerates upwards. Your answer should refer to Newton’s th
October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q17(a) (6 marks): Explain how the acceleration of the student changes as she moves from Position A to Position C. Assume that air resistance is negligible. (6)
October 2024, Unit 4, Q17(b)(i) (2 marks): The forwards and backwards forces on the toy aeroplane are equal in magnitude. Add to the diagram to show the other forces acting on the toy aeroplane. (2)
June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): A ship has a mass of 1.2 × 10 7 kg and has an acceleration of 0.03 m s –2. The force produced by the ship’s engine is 8.0 × 10 5 N. Which of the following expre
June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q15(c) (2 marks): During the collision there is a resultant force on ball B from ball A. Explain, in terms of Newton’s laws, why ball A decelerates during the collision. (2)
June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q19(a) (3 marks): In the position shown, the person is accelerating. Complete the free-body force diagram below to show the three forces acting on the person in this position. (3
June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q19(b)(i) (2 marks): Show, by calculation, that the force on the wheel from the cable is about 740 N. (2)
January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): A length of string is attached between two vertical posts. A bird of weight W stands on the middle of the string causing tension T in the string. The string mak
January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q16(b) (6 marks): Explain how Newton’s second and third laws of motion apply to the ball and the skittle during the collision. (6)
October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q9 (1 mark): A box of weight W is suspended, in equilibrium, from a support by two ropes. The tensions in the two ropes are T1 and T2 support T1 T2 box W Which of the follow
October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q11(a) (3 marks): The rocket’s engines give a total upward thrust of 7.3 × 10 7 N. Calculate the initial acceleration of the rocket. mass of rocket = 5.0 × 10 6 kg (3) Initial ac
October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q11(b) (1 mark): Give one reason why the acceleration will increase as the rocket rises. (1)
October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q16(a) (2 marks): State two reasons why the weight of the object and the force from the electromagnet are not a Newton third law pair. (2)
October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q17(b)(i) (3 marks): When the balloon is released, the initial upward acceleration is 4.80 m s –2. Show that the weight of the balloon and equipment is about 13 N. volume of balloon
October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q17(c) (6 marks): A weather balloon made of a strong material will rise and eventually stop expanding. It will continue to rise until it reaches a maximum height. Explain how and
June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q5 (1 mark): Two forces form a Newton’s third law pair. Which of the following statements is not true? A The forces act on the same object. B The forces have the same magnit
June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q17(a)(i) (2 marks): Show that F is about 500 N. (2)
June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q17(a)(ii) (3 marks): The buoy floats due to the upthrust from the water. The weight of water displaced by the buoy is 2.9 kN. Determine the weight of the buoy. (3) Weight of buoy =
June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q17(b) (3 marks): The speed of the water flowing past the buoy increases, so the horizontal force increases. Assume that the weight of water displaced by the buoy does not change
June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q18 (6 marks): *18 A student inflates a balloon. She uses a peg to keep the balloon closed. She then attaches a straw to the balloon using sticky tape. She passes a string thr
June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q20(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain why the forces acting on the actor cause him to accelerate upwards. (2)
June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q20(b)(ii) (3 marks): The actor has a mass of 77 kg and is lifted vertically from the ground with an acceleration of 2.1 m s–2. Show that the tension in the cable is about 920 N. (3)
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q2 (1 mark): Which of the following describes gravitational field strength? A weight per unit mass B acceleration per unit mass C gravitational potential energy per unit mas
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): A soap bubble is being blown by the wind. The free-body force diagram shows the forces acting on the bubble. P is the force of the wind, W is the weight of the
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): Two forces make a Newton’s third law pair. Which of the following statements is true for these forces? A They act in different directions on the same body. B Th
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q15(a) (4 marks): The trampoline gives the gymnast a maximum upward acceleration of 14.2 m s –2. Calculate the maximum upward force of the trampoline on the gymnast. mass of gymn
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q15(b)(i) (2 marks): Show that the tension in the spring is about 300 N. (2)
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q15(c) (6 marks): The vertical acceleration of the gymnast varies while she is in contact with the trampoline. Explain how the forces on the gymnast affect the vertical accelerat
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q16(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain why the velocity of the descent module changes when the rocket motor is used. Your answer should refer to Newton’s laws of motion. (3)
January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q16(b)(ii) (3 marks): When the rocket motor is operating, the velocity of the descent module changes –1 during a time of 5.0 seconds. by 0.58 m s mass of descent module = 2950 kg Cal
January 2023, Unit 4, Q13(b) (2 marks): The wings of the aeroplane are now levelled, as shown below. The speed and the magnitude of the lift force remain the same. Explain what will happen to the vert
October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q11(a) (1 mark): State what is meant by a resultant force. (1)
October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q11(b) (2 marks): At a certain time the drag force on the boat is 3.1 kN. Calculate the acceleration of the boat at this time. mass of boat = 7.5 × 103 kg (2) Acceleration =
October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q14(a) (4 marks): The child releases the balloon by letting go of the string. Calculate the resultant force on the balloon immediately after it is released. mass of balloon and s
October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q14(b) (6 marks): Immediately after the balloon is released, it begins to move upwards. The density of the air remains constant and there is no wind. Explain how the forces actin
October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q18(a) (4 marks): Complete the free-body force diagram to show all the forces acting on the engine. (4) normal contact force weight
October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q18(b) (5 marks): A student suggests that the weight and the normal reaction force form a Newton’s third law pair of forces. Explain why the student’s suggestion is not correct.
October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q19(c) (2 marks): At the top of the slope, the road becomes horizontal. The cyclist continues to pedal with the same force. Explain how the speed of the cyclist changes as the ro
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): A rocket is accelerating horizontally due to a constant resultant force. The mass of the rocket decreases steadily as it uses up its fuel. Which graph shows how
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q11(a) (2 marks): The free‑body force diagram for the disc is shown below. F mg The two forces shown are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Give two reasons why these
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q11(b) (2 marks): The magnetic base has weight W and rests on a horizontal table. Complete the free‑body force diagram below for the magnetic base. (2) W
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q14(b)(i) (1 mark): Drag forces act on the car as it moves through the air. State how the drag forces vary with the velocity of the car. (1)
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q16(a) (4 marks): Determine the magnitude of the tension in the string by using a scaled vector diagram. (4) Tension =
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q16(b) (5 marks): The student wants to determine the tension T in the string. She attaches a mass holder to the string. The student adds known masses to the mass holder until the
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(a)(iii) (3 marks): The collision lasted a total time of 1.35 s. Calculate the average horizontal force on Q during the collision. (3) Average horizontal force =
June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(b) (3 marks): Explain why P decelerates during the collision. Your answer should make reference to Newton’s laws of motion. (3)
January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q7 (1 mark): A person is pushing a trolley at a constant velocity. The floor exerts a force P on the person, the person exerts a force Q on the trolley. The trolley exerts a
January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): Which row of the table contains two units that are not equivalent? Unit 1 Unit 2 A J s–1 W B kg m s–2 N s C N kg–1 m s–2 D N m J
January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q13(a) (3 marks): The free-body force diagram for the climber is shown below. The weight of the climber is 650 N. T T 76° 76° 650 N Show that the tension T in the rope is about 1
January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q14 (6 marks): *14 A student of weight 600 N is standing on weighing scales in a lift. The scales are calibrated to give readings in newtons. lift weighing scales The lift mov
January 2022, Unit 4, Q12 (4 marks): A helicopter can hover in a fixed position as shown. helicopter blades (Source: Ascent Xmedia/Getty Images) The helicopter blades move air vertically downwards.
January 2022, Unit 4, Q13(a)(i) (4 marks): Show that the force of repulsion between the balloons in diagram 2 is about 1 × 10−3 N. mass of each balloon = 1.1 grams (4)
October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q2 (1 mark): A massive star exerts a gravitational force Fstar on a small distant planet. The planet exerts a gravitational force Fplanet on the star. Which row of the table
October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): A block of wood is stationary on a frictionless ramp as shown. The block is held in place by a string. The weight of the block is W. The force applied to the bl
October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): The diagram shows a rocket of mass m accelerating upwards with acceleration a. The diagram represents the forces acting on the rocket. T Diagram not to scale mg
October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q13(a) (2 marks): Complete the free‑body force diagram below for the sledge. (2)
October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q13(b)(i) (2 marks): Show that the initial acceleration of the sledge along the slope is about 1 m s–2. (2)
June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q3 (1 mark): A van travels along a straight, horizontal road at a constant velocity. Which of the following statements is correct? A The frictional force of the road on the
June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q8 (1 mark): A constant forward force acts on a car. The car accelerates along a straight road. After a while, the speed of the car reaches a constant value. Which graph sho
June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q15 (6 marks): *15 A large spacecraft is made up of several ‘stages’. Each stage consists of a rocket motor and a fuel tank. Once a stage has used all its fuel, the rocket mot
June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q16(b) (2 marks): When the dragster starts, there is a driving force that gives the dragster an initial forward acceleration of 5.50 g. Calculate the initial driving force on the
January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q9 (1 mark): Which of the following statements is not correct for a Newton’s 3rd Law pair of forces? A The forces act in opposite directions. B The forces act on the same bo
January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q14(b) (2 marks): Projecting water from the pipe causes a force to be exerted on the pump. Explain the direction of the force on the pump. (2)
January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q14(c) (3 marks): Initially the pump is turned off and the fireboat moves forwards through the water at a constant speed. The boat’s engine provides a constant forward force. Whe
January 2021, AS Unit 3, Q1(b)(i) (2 marks): Plot the remaining points and add a line of best fit. (2)
January 2021, AS Unit 3, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): The student concludes that these results do not show that the acceleration of the glider is directly proportional to the force. Comment on the student’s conclus
January 2021, AS Unit 3, Q1(c) (1 mark): The teacher explained that for the resultant force to be directly proportional to acceleration, the total mass of the system must be kept constant. Describe how
October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q2 (1 mark): A box was placed at the top of a ramp and released. The free-body force diagram for the box as it moved down the ramp at a constant velocity is shown. R F D D =
October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q12(a) (3 marks): Assess whether forces R and W are a Newton’s third law pair of forces. (3)
October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q12(b) (2 marks): Explain the motion of the unicycle. Your answer should make reference to all of the forces acting on the unicycle. (2)
October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q13(a) (3 marks): A free-body force diagram for the flagpole is shown below. Identify the forces X, Y and Z. (3) Y X Z X Y Z
October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q14 (6 marks): *14 A skydiver jumps from an aeroplane and accelerates until she reaches terminal velocity. At a time t1, she opens a parachute and a second, lower terminal vel
October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q19(a)(i) (1 mark): Suggest one further factor that may increase the sag of a cable. (1)
October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q19(a)(ii) (3 marks): A cable of mass M is at an angle θ to the horizontal. Explain why the tension in the cable decreases as the sag increases. (3)
January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q2 (1 mark): Which of the following statements describes the gravitational field strength acting on a body at a point? A gravitational force per unit length B gravitational
January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q4 (1 mark): A ball of mass m is projected vertically upwards. An air resistance F acts on the ball at all times. Which of the following equations would apply to the ball as
January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q19(a) (3 marks): Draw a free-body force diagram for the sphere when it is suspended in water as shown. (3)
June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q2 (1 mark): Once in orbit above the Earth’s atmosphere, the engines on a space rocket are switched off. Which row of the table correctly states the resulting motion of the
June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): A lift moves upwards from rest with an acceleration a. A student of mass 70 kg standing in the lift exerts a force of 800 N on the floor of the lift. Which of t
June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q18(a)(i) (4 marks): Explain what is meant by the terminal velocity of the raindrop. Your answer should include a free-body force diagram for the raindrop when terminal velocity has
June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q18(a)(ii) (4 marks): The air resistance F acting on a raindrop travelling at a velocity v, can be determined using the expression F 0.45ȡ$Y where $ is the cross-sectional area of t
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q5 (1 mark): According to Newton’s third law, when two objects interact they exert forces on each other. Which of the following statements is not a correct description of th
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q16(a)(ii) (3 marks): The parachute was at an angle to the vertical as shown. 6° Not to scale The total resistive force acting on the parachute and probe was at an average angle of 6
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q16(b) (6 marks): The probe was in ‘free fall’ from a height of 3.7 km, reaching the surface of Mars with a velocity of 150 m s–1. Explain whether the term ‘free fall’ is correct
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q18(a) (4 marks): An athlete accelerates down a straight section of the track as shown. The track is at an angle ș to the horizontal. ș Draw a free-body force diagram for the sle
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q18(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain why the mass of the athlete has little effect on the initial acceleration. (3)
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q18(b)(ii) (3 marks): Explain, in terms of forces, why the athlete reaches a maximum velocity. (3)
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q18(b)(iii) (2 marks): It is stated that the maximum speed is greater for athletes of greater mass. Suggest why this is only correct up to a certain mass. (2)
January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q18(c)(i) (1 mark): Show that a track with a gradient of 20% is at an angle to the horizontal of about 11°. (1)

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